Cirilo’s NAS massively recruiting youth, say peace monitors

JUBA – South Sudan’s Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangement Monitoring and Verification Mechanism (CTSAMVM) on Thursday accused the National Salvation Front (NAS) led by General Thomas Cirilo Swaka of forcibly recruiting youths in Central Equatoria state.

CTSAMVM chairperson, Maj. Gen. Yitayal Gelaw Bitew, said the peace monitoring body had received reports of NAS recruiting young people into its ranks.

“CTSAMVM has further noted that activities suspected to be conducted by NAS have increased around the area of Yei County, where recruitments of young energetic youths to enroll as their forces have been reported,” Gelaw told a meeting in Juba.

Gelaw also said suspected NAS elements were responsible for an ambush on a commercial vehicle earlier this month in Lainya County, which killed the driver and injured a soldier escorting the vehicle.

He added that cattle herders and unknown armed groups were posing a security threat in Western Equatoria and Western Bahr el Ghazal states.

“The first group is Dinka Bor cattle keepers who move while armed with guns. Secondly, Central African nomads called Ambororo, and they move with guns,” he said.

“Thirdly, there is an unknown group of people who are moving with guns and not putting on uniforms. These are not good indicators of the peace process,” he added.

NAS has refused to participate in the ongoing peace talks in Nairobi, citing failure of an earlier peace talks in Rome, Italy, and security concerns.

The government withdrew from the Rome talks due to a lack of progress, prompting President Salva Kiir Mayardit to ask Kenyan counterpart William Ruto to mediate talks with holdout opposition groups.